by Kenna Knight
“We’ve missed you, too. Don’t mind him, when he smells food, he forgets all of his manners.”
“You say this like I don’t already know. And what manners?” We chuckle at Theo’s expense, and he hands me the pie. It’s still warm, and I consider having dessert before dinner.
“Don’t you dare, I know you’re thinking about eating that pie first. I told Theo you would want to. Didn’t I, Theo? Liam wants to eat pie first,” he calls as we enter the living room.
Noah is in the kitchen with his back to the living room pulling bread from the oven. Theo points to him and mouths, “Who’s that?”
“Honey, our guests have arrived, come let me introduce you.” Noah turns holding the pan of hot bread with a huge grin on his face.
“Is this Ben? The Florida hottie you went to visit? You’ve brought him home to meet your friends? This must be serious,” Theo gushes, and Abe elbows him.
Noah walks into the living room, and I notice for the first time how handsome he looks in winter clothes. He’s wearing black jeans and a t-shirt with a cardigan sweater but on him, the simple outfit looks incredibly sexy, and I’m not the only one to think so.
Noah wipes his hands on a dishtowel before offering a hand to Theo. “Hi, you must be Theo, Liam has told me so much about you.” They shake hands, and I believe Theo is speechless for the first time ever.
“Theo, this is my best friend, Noah Miller, from back home and now my boyfriend. Noah, Theo.”
“Oh my God, this is Noah? As in the infamous Noah we have been listening to Liam talk about for years?” Abe says.
Noah turns to me. “You’ve been talking about me for years?”
“Baby, you know I never loved anyone else… it’s always been you.”
Abe sighs and clasps his hands in front of him, and Theo gasps.
“You called him baby, you’ve never called anyone baby. Oh my God, this is it, this is the big one. Abe, Liam is going to get married and have babies. We can raise our children together, take them on play dates…”
“Okay there, mister, you need to slow down now,” Abe says and turns to Noah, “I’m Theo’s husband, Abe, please forgive his excitement. We never thought Liam would settle down, and he’s a little over the top.” Abe grimaces, and Noah laughs.
“It’s fine, and who knows, maybe we will raise our kids together?” he says sliding his arm around my waist.
“I need to sit down. I might faint,” Theo says with the back of his hand on his forehead. Abe takes his free arm and helps him to the couch.
“Told ya, drama,” I whisper to Noah.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding.”
“Why don’t you finish up the bread and come out here with us. We can fill them in together.”
“Okay.”
I join Abe and Theo on the couch in front of the fire and wait for the barrage of questions. It doesn’t take long.
“What happened with Ben?” Abe asks.
And before I can answer, it’s Theo’s turn. “How long has this been going on?”
Then, it’s Abe again. “Did you really go to Florida?”
“Guys, if you’d let me get a word in edgewise, I’d tell you what happened.”
They shut their mouths and raise their eyebrows at me at the same time.
“All right, so I went to Florida, yes, but when I got to Ben’s house, I found out Ben was Noah. You could say this has been going on since we were five years old when we met in kindergarten.”
“Why didn’t he just tell you he was Noah to begin with?” Abe asks, and Theo nods.
“I was afraid Liam wouldn’t like the person I’d become,” Noah says from behind me. I turn and take his hand. Theo and Abe sit on pins and needles waiting for an explanation.
“When Noah was sent to live with his aunt, he became a bit of a recluse.”
“Agoraphobic,” Noah corrects me and squeezes my hand. He wants me to know it’s okay to be honest.
“Yes. We met in a forum chat group a year ago. I had no idea I was talking to Noah all that time.”
“Did you?” Abe asks Noah.
“No, not at first, but little things started adding up, and after a while, I was sure.”
“I never asked you what kind of things,” I say pulling him down to sit on my lap.
He blushes, and I can hardly contain myself. He is so damn gorgeous, and he doesn’t even know it.
“Your passion for politics, you grew up in the Midwest, you played football in high school, your favorite beer is Blue Moon, but what sealed the deal was your hate of peanut butter.”
“Peanut butter? You hate peanut butter, Liam?” Theo asks.
“I do, but there have to be hundreds, hell thousands, of people who don’t like peanut butter.”
“Not like you. We talked about it one time, and you said peanut butter thoroughly repulsed you, and you couldn’t understand why the rest of the world would want to poison their bodies with mashed up nuts. You said almost the exact thing to me in high school when they served sack lunches with peanut butter sandwiches on a day the cafeteria was closed.”
My God, his memory is sharp as a tack. He doesn’t forget a thing, and his attention to detail is phenomenal. I remember both conversations now that he brought them up, but I wouldn’t have otherwise.
“Wow, it’s like a second chance fairy tale, isn’t it, Theo?” Abe says.
“It would make a great book or play for sure,” Theo says.
These two are too much. “I’m damn glad I hate peanut butter so much, without that we might have never figured this out.”
“I sure as hell wouldn’t have invited a stranger to stay in my house. And you, you need to be more careful. I could have been a serial killer or something, and you came right to my door,” Noah says.
“I listened to my gut, and it said to go to Florida, so I did,” I say, defending myself. In hindsight, it was kind of stupid. The doorbell rings, it’s 6:30—Bianca’s here.
“That’s Bianca. You should stay here, I’ll go let her in,” I say nudging Noah off of my lap.
“She knows you, too, right?” Theo asks.
“Yes, I can’t wait to see her.”
“Does she know you’re here? Please don’t tell me this is a surprise, she loathes surprises,” Abe says.
“Ask him,” Noah says pointing at me.
“I couldn’t help it. I can never surprise her because she always ruins it, but not this time.” I stand and make my way to the door as it rings again. Bianca’s not a patient woman.
“Keep your panties on, I’m coming,” I say opening the door.
“Keep my panties on? Liam, you know I don’t wear underwear,” she says shoving a bottle of whiskey into my chest. “Welcome home, how was your trip?”
“Best vacation I’ve ever taken.”
“Ahh, so you and Ben got it on, did you? Tell me all about it.”
“I don’t kiss and tell, B, you know that.”
“Since when?” she says handing me her coat and slipping out of her heels. It’s Friday, and she’s come straight from work still dressed in her power suit and stilettos.
“Since always.”
“Pfft. Are the boys here? What are we having for dinner, it smells divine? You didn’t cook it, did you?” She’s walking and talking through the house, and we are in the living room now. “Hey Abe, Theo… oh my God.” She stops suddenly, and I run into her. She gasps, and her hand flies to cover her mouth right before tears spring to her eyes.
“Hey, Bianca, it’s been a long time.”
She looks back and forth between Noah and me. “How did you? Is it really? Holy shit, Noah, it’s really you.” She runs to him and throws her arms around his neck hugging him like he’s her long lost brother and he kind of is.
Still, in his arms, she reaches out and hits me in the chest. “I hate surprises, why did you do this to me? You’ve been in Florida for a week with him, and you never said a word, how could you?” She untangles herself from his arms. “Wa
it, you two have been online dating for over a year, you knew where he was all this time and didn’t tell me?” she yells.
Noah takes her by the shoulders, “No, Liam didn’t know. I didn’t know at first, but after a while of talking to him, I figured it out.”
“I don’t understand, why didn’t you tell him?”
We go through the whole story again with Bianca glaring at me for a while and then softening in the end.
“Well, you got me, Liam. You better enjoy it because it’s never going to happen again.”
A timer goes off in the kitchen, and Noah hops up from the loveseat. “Dinner’s ready. Anybody hungry for vegetarian lasagna and homemade garlic bread?” Noah asks. Everyone is on their feet and making their way into the dining room as soon as Noah says lasagna.
“Who’s the vegetarian?” Bianca asks keeping an eye on Noah. She can’t stop staring and who could blame her? He’s beautiful, and she’s missed him, too.
“Oh, I don’t know. I just thought it sounded healthier. Since Liam and I have been eating a lot of Italian lately, I figured we should try to get a few veggies into our diet, so we don’t get fat,” Noah says.
We all sit down and pass the food around the table. When everyone is settled, Bianca asks the million-dollar question. “So Noah, how long will you be staying?”
His mouth is full, so I answer for him, “Forever.”
Bianca pauses with her fork full of lasagna at her lips. “You’re living together? Already?” she asks.
“Already? We have been waiting for this for nine years, B. I hardly think we’re rushing into it,” I say.
“True, and they dated online for a year, so I’d say you’re right on track,” Theo says looking from Bianca to me.
Bianca shakes her head. “When you put it that way, yeah, I guess it’s time. I can’t get over how insanely meant to be this whole thing is.”
I glance at Noah who is on my right about to take a drink of wine. His hand stops half way to his mouth, and he feels my eyes on him and turns. “See, meant to be,” he says.
“I’m not arguing, I happen to be on board with that whole theory.”
Bianca frowns with confusion. “Noah has been telling me our relationship is meant to be since I arrived in Florida,” I explain to her.
“That’s because Noah’s always been the smart one,” she says sharply. I guess I deserve that dig after surprising her as I did. I roll my eyes, and we continue our meal catching up on the last nine years and filling in the gaps for Theo and Abe.
By dessert, it feels like Noah has always been part of our group. We’re a little tipsy when we leave the table for the living room. We take our usual spots on the couch and loveseat and moan about being too full.
“That was the best dinner I’ve ever had at Liam’s, and it’s all thanks to you, Noah,” Theo says.
“It was nothing. I enjoy cooking.”
“That’s good because we don’t enjoy eating Liam’s cooking,” Theo says.
“Hey, I’m not that bad, am I?”
“On a scale of one to ten, you are let’s order take-out,” Bianca says stretching out her foot to shove my thigh.
“Wow, thanks. I didn’t know you thought so little of my culinary talents.” She bursts out laughing, and I glare at her. “What?”
“You have zero culinary talents, my friend, but I love you anyway.”
“Whatever.”
Theo sits up on the edge of the couch. “We have some news we want to share with you Liam, and now also with Noah since you are a member of our family, too. Noah smiles and laces his fingers with mine on the cushion between us.
“We are going to be parents,” he says, with a hesitant smile. The adoption was tentative when we last spoke and I know how nervous they both are. I’m glad it looks like things are working out this time.
“Oh my God, that’s such exciting news!” Noah says. “Isn’t that exciting, Liam?” He sounds like a little kid himself, and I love it.
“Yes, that’s fantastic news, congratulations. No two people deserve a baby more than you do.”
“So when’s the big day?” Noah asks.
“She’s due any time,” Bianca says.
“So we are on baby watch, that’s exciting,” Noah says.
“Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl?” I ask.
“No, the birth mother doesn’t want to know. She doesn’t even want to see the baby after it’s born. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, but we have no control over that part,” Abe says.
“We think it would give her some closure if she at least saw the baby, you know?” Theo says.
“Maybe she just wants to pretend like it never happened. Out of sight, out of mind, that kind of thing?” Noah offers.
“Is that even possible? Can a woman deliver a child and just forget it happened?” I ask. If I were a woman, I know I couldn’t.
“She’s had a hard life, Liam. She’s an addict, and she isn’t interested in getting clean and staying clean. I think in her state of mind she just might be able to forget. It’s sad,” Bianca says.
“Are you handling the adoption?” Noah asks with peaked curiosity.
“Yes, and when you two are ready, I’ll handle yours, too,” she says with a knowing smile.
“How do you know we’re going to have kids?” I ask.
“Because I know you and after seeing the twinkle in this one’s eyes when he asked if I was handling the adoption…” she hitches her thumb in Noah’s direction, “I’m pretty sure you two will be listening to the pitter patter of little feet in the future.”
“I love kids,” Noah says all dreamy, and my heart expands. I’ll give him a crew of kids if that’s what he wants.
“See?” Bianca says with a smug look.
“I never said we didn’t want kids, I just wondered how you knew we did.”
“Shush, don’t argue with your babies’ future Godmother.”
“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?” I ask.
“Maybe a little. We have to plan the wedding of the century first.”
“You’re getting married?” I tease.
“Not as soon as you are.”
“Does that mean you’ve found someone willing to stick around for more than a weekend?” I ask. She lowers her head and narrows her eyes at me.
“I am particular, not desperate, and no I don’t have anyone in mind that’s why you’ll be walking down the aisle first, smart ass.”
“I’m teasing B, you’re a catch, and any man would be lucky to have you.”
She makes a humph sound. “You’re just sucking up because you know I’m an excellent wedding planner and baby getter.”
“Maybe.”
“Okay, sparring over. Let’s talk about something else,” Abe the peace maker says.
“So I hear you’re into photography, Noah,” Theo asks.
“Yes, it’s my passion. I hope to have a showing someday.”
“I know someone who works at the Greer Gallery, he might be able to help you out,” Theo says.
Noah’s eyes light up like a thousand Christmas trees. “Oh my God, the Greer Gallery? That would be a dream come true, can you introduce me?”
“Sure, I’ll call him this week and see what I can do.”
Noah turns to me pulling his knee up onto the loveseat. “Pinch me. I swear to God I must be dreaming. So many good things have happened since I found you, it can’t be real.”
“It’s real, baby, and you’re going to have to take my word for that. I’m not pinching you.”
We continue to dream swap, and Abe and Theo get to know my Noah better until the alcohol has worn off, and the food coma sets in. “I’m beat, we should get going,” Abe says standing up and offering his hand to Theo.
“Yeah, I had a long day in court, I’m down for some serious sleep,” Bianca says.
It’s obvious Noah is ready for bed, too. He has dozed off on my shoulder twice in the past twenty minutes.
“Thanks for coming, guys, and I’m not sorry I surprised you, Bianca.”
“I’m too tired to argue with you. At least it was the best kind of surprise.” She turns to Noah who is now standing next to me looking sleepy with bedhead on one side where he’s been leaning on my shoulder.
Bianca reaches out to smooth it down and cups his cheek. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me, too,” he says softly.
An hour later, at one-thirty in the morning, we have cleaned up all traces of a dinner party and are heading to bed.
“Still tired?” I ask him.
“Hell no, I was pretending.”
I laugh. “Noah Benjamin Miller, were you misleading our guests into thinking you were ready for bed so they would leave?”
“Yes, and it wasn’t misleading. I am ready for bed, just not for sleep.”
“Touché.”
“But, now that they’re gone, I’m a little nervous.”
“Nervous? With me, why?”
“It’s not you. I’ve never done this before. Weren’t you nervous the first time?”
“No, I was too drunk to be nervous. It wasn’t especially romantic or special like I want it to be for you.”
“Thanks, I feel better already.”
“You’re welcome, now take off your clothes and get on the bed.” I turn around and light a candle on my dresser and another next to the television. When I turn around, Noah hasn’t moved, and his mouth is hanging open. “What?”
He shakes his head like he’s been in a dream, “I, uh, you’ve just never talked to me like that before,” he stammers.
“This is your first time. I want to be in control. I want to make sure your mind is thoroughly blown, so you will never forget this night for as long as you live.”
“Well, you’re off to a good start then.”
I lift one side of my mouth in a smirk, “I’m glad you agree, now let’s get to the good part.”
Chapter Twenty-One
